3-Peat: Hillsboro run-rules Jackson en route to ’23 FAC championship

HILLSBORO  — For a majority of Thursday’s Frontier Athletic Conference showdown between the Hillsboro Lady Indians and Jackson Ironladies, it was a battle of the pitchers. Then, like clockwork, the Lady Indians — like they have many times this season — took over the game, and what had been a close game ended with a big home run and a six-inning run-rule victory by a 10-0 score at Alice Cassner Field.

The win was Hillsboro’s 29th consecutive win in FAC action, and it also sealed the outright conference championship for a third straight season.

Head coach Gary Breeden, who has been at the helm of the program for the past two seasons, plus was an assistant coach for their first of three straight FAC championships, described the past three seasons in one word: “fun.”

“From an assistant coach standpoint and head coach standpoint, it's just fun,” Breeden said. “We’ve had three great years of kids that want to work, want to put the time in and understand why. It's extremely fun for me as a coach to see their faces when the fruits of their labors pay off. That's what's most rewarding about it.

“It falls back on the kids and their work in the offseason. Everything we asked them to work on, on their own, in the offseason and them doing it. From the administration all the way down to the parents, everybody's bought in and they're behind the kids, and the kids realize that. It’s just fun.”

Hillsboro led 1-0 after the bottom of the first inning was finished, and it all began with a seven-pitch lead-off walk by Halle Reveal. After the first out, Camryn Spruell took first base on a throwing error in the infield, and that miscommunication on the throw by the Ironladies allowed Reveal to score the first run of the game.

That score stood for the next three and a half innings as Spruell and Jackson pitcher Serenity Taylor battled in the circle, keeping the score a one-run differential.

“Like I told the girls after the game, we come in with a plan,” Breeden said. “We knew what she was going to do. [Taylor] was going to give us fits, like she did in Jackson. We just have to keep working and keep driving to the opposite field, and it finally started working, just the same as it did in game one.

“We made the adjustments we needed to, and the ball started falling. Our motto is focus on the little things, keep doing the little things, from start to finish. If we take care of the little things, the games take care of themselves. That's all we keep harping on is keep working the little things, details.”

In the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Indians extended their lead to 2-0 with Kinsey Gilliland having a battle at the plate, as the 10-pitch at-bat resulted in a double for Gilliland, who smashed the ball to centerfield. Gilliland scored on a hard-hit ball to right field by Addie Huff, whose triple batted in Gilliland for the two-run lead.

Hillsboro’s lead increased to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning with Chloe Roberts leading off the inning with a seven-pitch walk, followed by Rhianna Clemons bunting Roberts to second base, while Clemons was safe at first on an infield error, allowing Roberts to take third base.

Reveal batted in Roberts with a single that allowed Clemons to move to third base. The lead went to four runs with Spruell hitting a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Clemons. After a base hit by Gilliland, Reveal scored the fifth Hillsboro run of the game off a passed ball, putting the Lady Indians ahead by a 5-0 score.

“Obviously Cam and Kinsey are our big hitters, but Halle Reveal is the heart of our team,” Breeden said. “She drives every day. She drives the players, she challenges coaches to help her get better, and she challenges everybody around her to get better. When that went through, I mean, that kickstarted it. She's just the heart of our team.”

Hillsboro won the game in the bottom of the sixth as Isabelle Brunck singled to lead off the inning, followed by a six-pitch walk by Hannah Burton. After the first out was recorded, Clemons singled to right field, scoring Brunck. Following the second out on a fly ball, HHS took a 7-0 lead with a ball hit to right field by Eowyn Brown, allowing Burton to round the bases and score a run.

With Clemons on third base and Brown at first base, Spruell on a 1-0 count smashed the ball over the centerfield fence, completing the run-rule victory in six innings with a three-run home run for the 10-run win.

Hillsboro finished with right hits and one error, and the Ironladies totaled two hits and two errors.

Reveal finished 1-for-3 in the game with two runs, an RBI and a walk. Brown wad 1-for-4 with a run and RBI. Spruell also was 1-for-4 with a run, but collected four RBI in the win.

Gilliland had a 2-for-3 day at the plate, finishing with one run, and Huff was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Brunck went 1-for-3 with a run, while Clemons finished 1-for-3 with a run.

Burton collected a run and a walk, while Roberts totaled a run and walk as well in the FAC win.

Spruell was outstanding in the circle with a six-inning pitching performance that saw her allow no runs on two hits and one walk. Spruell finished with 15 strikeouts in the FAC championship-clinching game against Jackson, totaling 88 pitches, 66 for strikes, all while facing 22 batters.

Hillsboro’s win improves them to 9-0 in the FAC as they have a delayed game to complete on Friday in Greenfield against the McClain Lady Tigers. The game is scheduled to restart at 5 p.m. with Hillsboro holding a 14-2 lead in the top of the third with two runners on the bases with one out.

The win also moves the Lady Indians to an overall record of 18-2 this season. Earlier this season, HHS defeated Jackson, 9-2 in Jackson.

HHS will play in the Division II sectional finals on Wednesday, May 10 at 5 p.m. in Hillsboro against McClain.

“We're not going to change anything we've done all year,” Breeden said of the postseason. “Obviously, it's tournament time and things get a little bit more real because it’s win or go home, but we're not going to change who we are. We're just going to keep battling and keep fighting like we have been all season.”

BOX SCORE
JHS    000 000 x - 0 2 2
HHS    100 135 x - 10 8 1